This invention relates to a connecting system that can be used with sheet material. More particularly, it is a connecting system that is removably secured to the sheet material so that the connecting system can be conveniently positioned or removed from the sheet material as desired.
One of the primary uses of the connecting system of the present invention is for tote boxes. Tote boxes are containers which are used to transport, store and display various goods. These boxes are frequently designed so that they can be stacked or mounted in a nesting relationship for convenient transportation or storage. In order to be stackable the upper ridge of the tote box is typically reinforced with a top rail or rim member which is adapted to receive another tote box stacked thereon. It is conventional to use a variety of materials for the construction of such tote boxes. The materials can include corrugated paperboard, corrugated plastic sheet, sheet material and other such materials. Typically the tote boxes are constructed using fasteners such as rivets, staples, screws or glue to secure the top rail to the tote box. These fasteners add considerable expense to the finished tote box as the fasteners are expensive and time consuming to install. Such fasteners also securely affix the corrugated or sheet material to the top rail and it is almost impossible to separate the corrugated or sheet material from the top rail.
These previous fastening systems make it very difficult to replace a top rail or reuse the top rail if the tote container is damaged. The prior art fastening systems effectively join together the corrugated or sheet material to the top rail so that the top rail cannot be separated from the sheet material when it is desired to recycle the tote box container. The securing methods found in the prior art also make it necessary to construct the tote box before it is shipped to the end user.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a connecting system that can be used to removably secure components to corrugated or sheet material.